Blurry
by Celes Chere
Summary: A year after her pilgrimage, Yuna and her fellow guardians settle down to live out peaceful lives. However, despite everything, Yuna cannot help but still think of the 'dream' she fell in love with...and of the future she feels does not belong to her.
1. Vision I- The Boy Born of the Water

Blurry  
  
A Final Fantasy X Fanfiction  
  
By: Celes Chere  
  
  
  
Author's Note: Hi everyone! Well, this is my third romance novel on fanfiction.net, hopefully it will be as somewhat successful as my other ones. ^^ The title, as some of you may recognize, is also the same as Puddle of Mudd's most awesomest song ever, however, this is not a songfic. ^^;; However, it is that song that inspired the title of this fic. Anyone who knows about the song Blurry really should listen closely to the lyrics and tell me, is that not Tidus and Yuna?! "There are oceans in between us, but that's not very far..."  
  
At anyrate, I hope everyone likes this story and has enough patience for me to finish it...heh heh heh, I know I am slow, but I will add chapters as soon as I pop them out, and hopefully people will leave me lots of reviews to encourage me?? *is not ashamed to beg, lol!* I don't really know what else to say, except that Square owns all of these characters except for the few I may make up here and there, and that Square is also god. Hai! This story takes place about a year after the game's events, so mostly everyone's age will be a year higher then the official Square one. ^_^ Oh yeah, and since I can't indicate italics, and that is really beginning to make me mad for some of my documents, inner thought and emphasis on words or ideas will be proclaimed with a set of 's and 's.  
  
  
  
  
  
Vision I- The Boy Born of the Water  
  
It was none other than a sunny day on the beautiful island of Besaid. The skies were as clear blue as the oceans they hailed over, almost the color of a crystal clear cerulean memory sphere, a popular item among the people of Spira for preserving memories and thoughts for loved ones. The ocean's waves were gentle that morning, crashing onto Besaid's white sanded beaches with a humble roar that could hardly be heard among the seagulls that chattered and squeaked to each other as they searched the beaches for breakfast, gliding with their wings spread open as they dived down to the sands. It was a lazy June morning, and the heat was already steadily climbing, which meant that any of Besaid's villagers that had outdoor business were all out doing it now, before the humidity and weather got too unbearable.  
  
The most activity on the beach this morning was at the dock, where the workers and hired hands for the summer were preparing to welcome a ship from Luca. On the less crowded area of the beach, to the east, a few children were playing with a blitzball, laughing and shouting at each other as they kicked the ball back and forth, practicing their passing skills. However, there was one lone figure that morning who did not have work nor play on her mind, but rather nothing at all. Well, at least she was trying to keep her mind clear of any intruding thoughts, but it wasn't working too well.  
  
Concentrate...oh no wait, do I concentrate? What did Wakka say about concentrating? Oh dear, this meditating trick is a lot harder than he let on! This is giving me more stress than relieving it...Darn darn darn...  
  
Yuna let out a slight groan of frustration, but did not open her eyes quite yet and sit up from the towel that she was laying out on. She wasn't ready to give up. She let out a soft breath to try to relieve her frenzied senses, and tried once more to clear her mind, mentally blocking out the sounds of activity around her, making her skin numb to the warmth of the towel and sand beneath her body.  
  
"Mmmm..." Yuna let out a soft sigh from her beach wind-kissed lips as she slowly undid her senses and let her spirit mentally detatch itself from Spira, the real world. Alas, she had done it! Her mind that had been swirled with cloudy images and blurred voices, was now empty of all of that, and she felt as if her senses had been heightened and atuned a hundredfold. Her hands, which had been folded across her lap slowly relaxed themselves and slid to her sides. It was not easy to confirm, but Yuna felt almost as if she were back in the Farplane.  
  
Suddenly, the sound of a rather rough wave came crashing onto the shore, jarring Yuna's temporary state of Nirvana. Images of the beach and the ocean began to fill her mind again, reminding her of where she really was. However, her fingers twitched a little and her breath got caught in her throat when the image of a lone pyrefly floated across her closed eyes, slowly flying out into the mental ocean her mind had become filled with. It was soon followed by another, and then another, and soon a whole group more, all flying into the high waves of the ocean, becoming swallowed and gone an instant later. The crystal blue ocean began to glitter and churn wildly, as if a storm had ascended upon it. There was then the first sound Yuna could make out besides the ocean's roar-- The Hymn.  
  
The Hymn of the Fayth.  
  
Sung of an unknown origin, The Hymn floated over the ocean, seeming to calm it and to dull it's glittering surface considerably. As the sound of The Hymn began to fade, the water parted and a figure began to emerge from it, their head first breaking through the surface of the water followed by the rest of their body. It was a boy, that was easy enough to tell, with wide, bare shoulders that glistened from the salty water dripping down from them onto his smooth, tanned chest. His face was smiling, bright, radiating sunshine to whoever's eyes fell upon it. His cheeks were flushed with a light blush and his sky blue eyes were shining with the reflection of the sunlight on the ocean surface. Water beads dripped down from his soft, long spikes of blonde hair, the subtle highlights in it almost appearing white. Yuna felt her eyes sting and burn with tears of remembrance as the figure slowly approached her, a low wave gently lapping over his now exposed, bare stomach. The only anything the figure was wearing was a silver chain around his neck with a silver, cross- like emblem that matched the stud in his left ear, but Yuna knew. She knew who it was right away.  
  
"....Yuna...!" His pink lips parted slightly as he called her name, climbing out of the ocean he had been born of. He began to pad across the beach towards her. In her mind, Yuna sat up and opened her eyes fully, taking in the young man's form with a small smile on her own lips as trails of escaped tears began to fall from her sapphire blue left eye and her emerald green right eye. She reached out her hand, which was adorned with one silver band around her index finger, longing to feel his radiating warmth against her skin. He smiled more and acknowledged her request, falling to his knees beside her as he reached out and firmly clasped her hand in his. Yuna felt a shiver go down her spine as she gently rubbed her fingers against his, trailing them up and down his digit's lengths as she raised her gaze from his hand to his eyes, fighting to resist losing herself in them as she had done so many times before.  
  
"Tidus!" Yuna cried, and before she could stop herself, threw herself upon his naked, still dripping body, and began to sob heavily agaisnt his shoulder, his salty scent filling her senses and entangling them as she clutched onto him.  
  
I'm not sinking through his body this time...He's not fading away...  
  
Tidus wrapped his arms around her tightly and burried his head in her chestnut brown hair, murmuring something she couldn't understand.  
  
"What?" Yuna asked, and pulled away a little. "What is it?" Tidus frowned a little and brought a finger to her lips as he began to speak.  
  
"Yuna! Wake up, ya?!"  
  
Yuna gasped and her eyes shot open, which she regreted immediately as the strong sunlight struck them, causing her to wince and look away to the beach as she coughed a little and pushed herself up on her towel. She slowly looked over to the looming figure beside her, and saw that it was none other than Wakka, the deeply tanned, flame-haired captain of the Besaid Aurochs.  
  
He was kneeling down beside her with a concerned look in his deep brown eyes, which were partly covered by the thick blue bandana he always wore. Wakka was a young man of 25 who had been born and raised on Besaid Island, and he definately showed it with his native tongue and love for Blitzball. He had quit his job as the Auroch's captain when he was 24 to become Yuna's full-time guardian for her pilgrimage along with Lulu and Kimahri, but after they had returned home to Besaid, his team begged and begged him to return to coaching them, which he of course, accepted graciously. He was outgoing and friendly to everyone he met, and was even getting over his disapointing racism against the Al Bhed, a tribe of people in Spira who only differed from everyone else in their love of machinery, their unusual (but beautiful) swirled green eyes, their language (although many could speak fluent English) and their rejection of Yevonism. Wakka had a strong hatred against them because he felt that they were partially at fault for the death of his brother and Lulu's fiancÃ©, Chappu.  
  
However, times were rapidly changing. The machinery that the Al Bhed frequently salvaged (called Machina), was now slowly becoming the common way of life for many people all over Spira. The teachings of Yu Yevon once had forbidden the use of Machina, but along with his death, his more strict teachings had died with him. Of course, there were still many people, who no matter what, would always live by the teachings, even though Yu was revealed to be a fraud, and there were some places, like Besaid, that had become so accustomed to the way of life without Machina that they would probably never revert, but there was still progress, and good progress at that. Not only was Machina becoming more respected again, but so were the Al Bheds themselves, who were once hated and rejected by the other people of Spira because of their differences named previously. Wakka had been somewhat forced to get along with the Al Bhed, mainly because one of Yuna's newer guardians, Rikku, was an Al Bhed herself, and traveled with the group.  
  
However, thanks to Rikku, Wakka slowly made the realization that the Al Bhed were not as terrible as everyone made them out to be. But not only that, Rikku was Yuna's cousin, which meant that Yuna herself was half-Al Bhed. And of course, after Wakka realized that, how could he ever say he hated the Al Bhed again?  
  
"Yuna! You were sleepin' sound as a babe before all of a sudden, you started makin' this rukus, ya? Ya started callin' someone's name, and I came runnin' from the ocean to see if ya were hurt or somethin'!"  
  
"The ocean...?" Yuna asked blankly, and looked at Wakka again. Sure enough, he was in his black swimming shorts, and his body was soaked with water. She then remembered that Wakka had come down to the beach with her this morning to practice his underwater breathing for Blitzball while she tried out meditation. Yuna turned red in embarssment when she realized that while attempting to meditate, she had fallen asleep.  
  
And then there was the dream...  
  
Yuna felt her breath get caught in her throat again as the tears from her dream made their debut into reality, threatening to overpour from her eyes as she looked away from Wakka and clutched at the sand underneath her fingers, squeezing so hard that the little grains dug into her skin painfully. Wakka widened his eyes and rested a callused hand on Yuna's shoulder.  
  
"Are you ok??" He cried, and Yuna nodded, putting on a slight smile as she turned to face Wakka, reaching up with her other hand to rub at her eyes.  
  
"I think I just got sand in my eyes." Yuna lied, and Wakka nodded, not really believing her, but not really sure he wanted to do anything about challenging her word at the moment.  
  
"Ya better go back to the house and wash your eyes before it gets worse, ya?" Wakka questioned, and Yuna nodded.  
  
"You're right...but shouldn't you be getting back soon too, Wakka? Lulu did say she wanted to talk to you. She sounded very irritated when she told me this morning."  
  
"Awww, man, Lulu always sounds irritated!" Wakka tried to laugh, but Yuna smiled and poked him playfully in the chest.  
  
"More irritated than usual...."  
  
"Ouch! Oh man..." Wakka stood up and brushed the sand off his wet shorts. "I betta go back then...Just promise you'll be home in time for lunch, ya? I'll make us all somethin' delicious for Kimahri's return!"  
  
"That's right, I forgot that Kimahri was supposed to return home from Mt. Gagazet today!" Yuna smiled more and clapped her hands together. "I'll be home soon Wakka, I promise."  
  
"Awright, I wouldn't want ya to get sunburned!" Wakka warned playfully, and with that, bounded away from her up the beachline back towards Besaid Village, which was hidden in a pilliage of thick tropical trees behind the shoreline. Yuna laughed a little and wiped at her tears again as she slowly stood up herself and stretched her tired limbs.  
  
"Wakka sounds more like my dad these days than my big brother!" Yuna exclaimed to herself as she reached back to make sure the ties on her black bikini top were still on tightly. Normally, she would just wear the black top underneath her white tie-on top that would then be fastened at her waist by a big, silky yellow ribbon that was the style emblem of those of Besaid descent, however, today was far to humid and sticky out to wear even that light of clothing. Instead, Yuna wore her black top, and matching black bottoms underneath a deep violet tie-on surong. Her hair, which she had let grow out considerably since her return home to Besaid, was now a little past her shoulders, and swept up in a high ponytail. Rolling up her towel, Yuna gazed out into the gentle sea and felt her heart skip a beat as her dream came back into her mind. Before she could stop herself, Yuna dropped the towel to the ground and found her feet carrying her out towards the shore, a shudder running through her body as the cool surf washed at her feet and then teasingly pulled away back into the ocean.  
  
Yuna took a deep, tolerating breath, and walked further out, further and further until the water lapped at her knees. Raising her hand to her forehead, she could gaze out past the sun, but all she saw was more ocean. That's all that was around Besaid for miles and miles--endless blue ocean. A lot of people in Spira had never been able to see the ocean, let alone swim in it, but Yuna had grown up with the ocean for more than half of her life. She practically had saltwater coursing through her veins, it seemed. Yuna smiled a little as she thought of one of her favorite activities...dancing on the surface of the water with the aide of the magical pyreflies that could materialize out of nowhere at a summoner's command through the motions and prayers of the dance. However...Yuna had not danced like that since...  
  
Since...  
  
She couldn't remember.  
  
There had been a specific dance a summoner had to learn called The Sending--The dance that would guide dead souls of Spira over from their home world to the Farplane, an eternal resting place, which Yuna had performed frequently over a time period of a month or so last summer while on her pilgrimage to Zanarkand to fight the living nightmare Sin...But it was not the same dancing that she had grown to love since childhood. The Sending was so much more draining, spiritually and physically, for you had to conjure up the souls of those who had died and also summon pyreflies to help meld with them to give them a living form, so that they could make the journey to the Farplane safely.  
  
Yuna had not had to perform a sending since the 'death' of her dear friend Auron after the defeat of Yu Yevon, but she found herself too afraid to try to attempt any water-surface dance since that fateful day. It was the day that had brought peace and liberation to Spira as a whole, but also brought catastrophe and pain to Yuna's heart. Ever since that day, Yuna had been afraid to attempt to do anything that was once a normal part of her life.  
  
Maybe the pyreflies won't come when I summon them anymore. Yuna had thought to herself sadly one day as she stood near the edge of a Besaid dock, staring down at her reflection. Are my duties as a summoner truly over? The day that we defeated Yu Yevon, the evil force behind Sin, the fake God so many souls prayed and poured their hearts into... So many things ceased to exist along with him. The Aeons...Cindy, Mindy, Sandy, Anima, Ifrit, Bahamut...I killed all of them! I summoned them to their final battle so that the others could destroy them...! And then there was Auron...who asked me to send him to the Farplane at long last...Sir Jecht, who played his role as my father's Final Aeon so that his son could destroy him and wipe Spira clean of Sin...And...there was...Tidus...the living dream of the Aeons used to bring peace to my world..The living dream that faded away...The living dream...that I fell in love with...  
  
Ever since she had come up with the theory that perhaps some of her gifts as a summoner simply wouldn't work anymore, Yuna had just been too afraid to try to either prove herself right or wrong. While she had grown a considerable backbone and gained more character on her voyage across Spira to defeat Sin, there was still a deep timidness within her that always seemed to hold her back in one way or another.  
  
Yuna sighed, and feeling desperate to make her spirits rise, she brought her fingers to her lips and let out a loud yet smooth whistle, just like Tidus had taught her how to in Luca. The clear sound cut across the sky and the water, and Yuna could hear the echo fading and fading away ever so slowly, almost like someone was whistling back to her. Almost like he was whistling back...Like he had promised he always would... However, this did not have the rising effect on her that she had desired, and felt her eyes begin to sting again.  
  
"You promised you would come running when I called!" Yuna suddenly screamed out at the ocean, not even notcing that the children back on the beach had stopped their games momentarily to stare after her. As if shouting back at her, a large wave suddenly rose in the ocean and smashed against Yuna's side, causing her to cry out and fall over in the water onto her hands and knees. Instead of pulling herself back up, she began to sob heavily, finally letting everything out that she had been struggling to keep in since Wakka had left. There had been so many other days and nights like this...Where somehow, Tidus would seep into her memory and remind her how much she had truly loved him when he was by her side in Spira.  
  
She couldn't get away from it...  
  
The ocean smelled of his salty skin, the sky shined of his blue eyes, and the gentle, warm Besaid air made her feel calm and protected, just like when he had held her in his arms and kissed her at Lake Macalania. Yuna clenched her eyes shut as she heaved another sob, digging her fingers into the soft sands underneath the water.  
  
She had not been there when Tidus first arrived at Besaid, like Wakka had, but she imagined her dream must of been very simular to what Wakka had told her he had seen when Tidus had made his arrival.  
  
"All of a sudden, like a dolphin, he leaps out of the water and returns the Blitzball back to me while doin' a magnificant backflip!" Wakka had exclaimed excitedly. "I tell ya man, it was one of the most awesome moves I had ever seen! It was like he was one with the ocean, commanding it what to let him do and not do...There was a magical air about him, I knew that from the start..."  
  
"You promised to take me to your Zanarkand...you promised you would always protect me...you promised everything would be OK!! But you lied! Tidus, why did you lie?! Why did you lie about being a dream...? Why did you....Oh, Mercy, Yevon!" Yuna shook her head and suddenly plunged her head underneath the water to make her snap out of it. The salty water had a slight tingling effect on her hot skin from lying out in the sun, but the coldness of the water also brought her body into slight shock and made her wake up and realize that she was crying over something that could never be helped, never, as long as she lived. Her keen sensibility came into play once more, causing her to finally resurface and pant for lost breath.  
  
"....I'm sorry...Tidus..." She murmured softly, as if the ocean were his messenger, and would carry her words back to him immediately. "It's been nearly a year since we said good-bye....But I do still love you..."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Aha, look who has finally managed to crawl off the beach." Lulu smiled a little as Yuna slipped through the open doorway of their home in the small main hallway that led into the parlor, where Lulu was just replacing a bouquet of Besaid wildflowers. Well, actually, she was getting one of her magical dolls to do it for her while she sat on the small cushioned love seat, fanning herself with a petite paper fan. Yuna laughed a little and took off her now soaking surong, waving a hand at Lulu in reply.  
  
"Can you give me a clothespin so I can hang this outside?" Yuna asked, and Lulu nodded, looking over at the doll arranging the flowers.  
  
"Onion Knight!" Lulu commanded in a cool tone, and the doll looked up, blinking it's adorable blue eyes as it reached up to adjust it's soft yellow helmet. "Get Yuna a clothespin, would you please?" The Onion Knight nodded and hopped down off the coffee table, scuttling into the kitchen. Yuna couldn't help laughing at the wiggling Onion Knight as it walked off, and turned back to Lulu. However, Lulu's smile had faded, and she suddenly looked very exhausted. Yuna frowned in concern and crossed into the parlor, sitting down beside Lulu.  
  
"Are you alright Lu? You look sort of ill." Yuna said, and Lulu turned back to the younger girl, smiling again as she reached up and pushed her dark black bangs out of her eyes, the ornaments in her hair letting out a little rattle as she nodded.  
  
"It's very hot today." Lulu said, somewhat avoiding the question. Yuna made a face and put her hands on her hips.  
  
"Lu, if you didn't wear such a heavy gown, you wouldn't feel the heat as badly." Yuna tried to protest, and reached out, tugging on the heavy belted skirt Lulu always wore. Lulu looked down at Yuna's hand and didn't say anything for a moment, which would make anyone else suddenly very nervous in the Black Mage's presence, but not Yuna, who had grown up with Lulu for most of her life.  
  
Much like Wakka, Lulu was like an older sibling to Yuna. She was a tall, elegant woman who had just recently celebrated her 23rd birthday. She, like Wakka, was born on Besaid Island, although to any outsider of the village, she actually looked foreign to the people there. She was not tan at all, but rather very pale and not nearly as outgoing as the islanders. She had a cool attitude to go along with her cool exterior, and to people who didn't know her, she was cold and appeared rather mean. But her best friends, Yuna, Wakka, and Kimahri, knew that deep down, Lulu was actually a very caring and warm-hearted woman. It was her difficult past that really accounted for her attitude, although Yuna noticed that even Lulu had begun to open up a little more recently. Yuna herself had only learned last year of the accidental death of a summoner Lulu had been charged to protect as a guardian, although she already knew about the painful death of the only man she had ever seen Lulu ever become affectionate with, Chappu. But really, Lulu's change had begun when Tidus had come around...  
  
"...Well, perhaps I'll change later." Lulu finally replied, and turned away from Yuna as Onion Knight ran back into the parlor and hopped onto Yuna's lap, handing her the clothespin.  
  
"Thank you." Yuna smiled and patted Onion Knight on the head before he bowed and hopped away back to his flower arranging. Yuna gave Lulu one last glance as she stood up and went back outside, around the back of their small home to where the clothesline hung. Their home was much like all the other little shops and homes on Besaid, simple and yet well-built to survive any tropical storms or the now null Sin attacks.  
  
The front side was nothing much, considering it was right on the main cobble-stoned road that went through Besaid, but the back was much more personalized and beautiful, thanks to the four people who resided in it. There were well-tended gardens, with brightly colored plants and fruits, and tall tropical-like trees, two of which had a hammock tied onto their trunks, and another two that held up the clothesline. The little home had actually originally belonged to one of Lord Braska's friends who had passed away while Braska was still alive, and left the home to his family while Braska was still living in Belvelle. However, when Yuna was 7, Braska had died from sacrificing himself to Yu Yevon to bring the Calm, and Yuna had become an orphan.  
  
However, Sir Auron, one of Braska's best friends and guardians, had already been informed of the home, and when he brought Kimahri the young girl, he told him to take her there in Besaid to live. But Yuna had already decided that she wanted to follow in her father's footsteps, and instead chose to live in the Temple of Besaid to train to become a summoner herself. Thus, the house remained discarded until just last year, at the end of Yuna's journey. Upon returning to Besaid, Yuna decided that she no longer wanted to live alone in the temple, and that she wanted to be closer to her friends. Wakka had the idea that they all live together in the home left to her name, and everyone agreed that it would be a great idea. There were just enough rooms for the 4 of them, and at last, Yuna felt as if her little family had become complete. Every once in a while, her cousin Rikku would come to visit as well, and stay with Yuna in her room.  
  
Yuna carefully hung up the wet surong so that it wouldn't wrinkle after it dried, and took a step back to make sure she had hung it up straight. Nodding her head in approval, she turned to go back inside and change into something less wet. As she slipped in through the front door, she felt her heart skip a beat when she heard distinct yelling coming in from the kitchen. It was Lulu, who hardly ever rose her tone to anyone, even when she was angry. Yuna blinked and wondered if she should just turn around and go back outside, but when Wakka started yelling too, her curiousity won over her conscience, and she planted her feet onto the floor, clutching her hands together.  
  
"You KNOW how it happened Lu, and there is really nothing I can do about it now!" Wakka yelled, his friendly voice now much deeper and gruffer. "I can apoligize a hundred times, but it won't fix a damned thing!"  
  
"You can apoligize a hundred times, and I still won't forgive you!" Lulu screamed back. "And, you act as if this is a disaster! Have you no sympathy?"  
  
"I DO have sympathy, and I don't necessarily think it is a disaster..." Wakka trailed off. "...I don't know what to think, Lu...I'm sorry..." Yuna blinked and raised a hand to her forehead. She didn't know what to make of what was going on, and she had no clue in Spira what they were arguing about, but she knew that she couldn't take the hurtful yelling much longer.  
  
"Wakka, Lulu, is lunch ready yet?" Yuna suddenly called, as if she had just walked back in through the door. Wakka burst in from the kitchen, and put on a fake smile that Yuna could see right through, however, she did not act like anything was wrong.  
  
"Hey kiddo, lunch will be ready in a little while yet, ya?" Wakka smiled more and put his hands on his hips. "So ya decided to take a little swim?" Yuna blinked and remembered that she was still wet, and laughed a little.  
  
"Yeah, the ocean was just too tempting for me." Yuna smiled back and gave a small wave. "I'm going in my room to change, I'll help you guys as soon as I'm done!"  
  
"You don't have to Yuna, Wakka is taking care of everything." Lulu called from the kitchen, her voice hoarse from yelling. "Just relax until Kimahri comes back."  
  
"Alright Lulu!" Yuna called back, and with that, retreated into her bedroom. It was a small room right between Kimahri's and Lulu's, decorated in mostly white and light blue, Yuna's favorite colors. Her bedspread was a pale cerulean, which complimented her soft white canopy spread and pillows. A tall floor-length mirror framed in silver leaned against one wall, across from her pale white colored wardrobe. Against the wall next to the mirror were two of Yuna's staves. One was the one her father had given her as a birthday gift, the last gift she had actually ever received from him, a tall purple staff with a golden emblem at the top end that had intertwining pieces to make it appear as the shape of a water lilly. Beside that was a Celestial Weapon that Yuna had managed to acquire while on her pilgrimage, a beautiful staff with a deep blue handle and a golden, almost butterfly-shaped emblem that had several pink ribbons and beads dangling from it. Yuna had named it Nirvana.  
  
On a small white dresser, Yuna had displayed a few pictures she had had taken of herself and Rikku on the deck of her Uncle Cid's airship, encircled in silver and ivory frames. The tool that the pictures had been taken with was called a 'camera', a type of Machina device that had the ability to freeze moments in time onto a piece of glossy paper forever. Yuna still couldn't get over some of the wonderous things Machina could do, and highly treasured the beautiful pictues Rikku had developed for her. Someday, Yuna wanted to burrow Rikku's camera and take pictures of all her friends. Somewhere inside, she also secretly wished that she could take a picture of Tidus. But the most she had ever had of him picture wise was a sphere that he had tossed over the edge of Rikku's airship before an aerial battle against Sin.  
  
"You don't need it anymore, right?!" Tidus had called to her. At that time, Yuna had believed him-- She had learned that she didn't need to sacrifice her life in order to slay Sin for the final time, and that a sphere containing some of their journey's memories and her good-byes was no longer necessary. However...  
  
"No! I really must stop thinking of him so much." Yuna sighed to herself, and collapsed backwards onto her bed, the cool sheets below her sending a shiver down her spine. "It's been getting worse and worse lately...but why? Because it is the anniversary of his coming to Spira...? Things are no different then they were after he left... I mean, I cried for a few days, and the others left me alone while I also mourned Sir Jecht and Sir Auron... But after that...I was ok..." Yuna closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Of course...I was perhaps a little too busy to think about everything that had happened...Shelinda and the others on the Yevonian Council had me so occupied with Sin's affairs...."  
  
Yuna blinked and realized that she still needed to get dressed, and quickly, just in case Kimahri came home. She wanted to welcome him as soon as she could! Throwing open her wardrobe doors, Yuna quickly searched and found a long, deep red tie-on skirt with a golden colored flower at the tie part, which had dangling ivory colored strings decorated with glass crimson beads. The matching top was a white triangle-cut piece that tied around Yuna's back in a criss-cross, with a v-neck cut on the front and the image of a crimson flower matching the one on the skirt. After searching for suitable undergarments, Yuna quickly changed, but decided to keep her wet hair up for now. It would dry on it's own eventually.  
  
As she was adding on her usual pair of bracelets and the rest of her jewels, Yuna heard a loud stomping sound coming in from the front of the house. Blinking, she turned from her mirror and suddenly broke out into a huge grin as she heard a familiar gruff voice burst out.  
  
"Grrr...Kimahri remember how hot Besaid Island is."  
  
"Kimahri!" Yuna exclaimed happily, and ran out of her bedroom, tearing through the hallway. As soon as she spotted him she laughed and took a little leap, throwing her arms around the surprised, tall, blue Ronso. Kimahri laughed deep in his throat and hugged Yuna back gently as Lulu and Wakka emerged from the kitchen.  
  
"Welcome home!" Yuna smiled, and Kimahri pulled back a little, looking Yuna up and down for a moment.  
  
"Yuna grow only prettier while Kimahri away."  
  
"Oh Kimahri!" Yuna blushed and patted his arm. "So, how did everything go at Mt. Gagazet? Are the Ronsos recooperating nicely?"  
  
"Yeah...Ronsos do well." Kimahri nodded and looked back to Wakka and Lulu. "Kimahri miss you all. Kimahri not like being away from Besaid."  
  
"Well, we're very happy you're home." Lulu nodded, and crossed her arms over her chest. "Lunch will be ready soon. You arrived just in time."  
  
"Good!" Kimahri exclaimed, and rubbed his stomach. "Kimahri not eat since breakfast!" With that, Kimahri began to walk to the kitchen, but suddenly stopped and turned to Yuna with a slight smile on his mug.  
  
"Yuna!" He called, and Yuna turned back to him.  
  
"Yes?" She asked, and Kimahri pointed towards the doorway.  
  
"On ship from Luca, Kimahri meet young man who wished to see you." Kimahri said, and Yuna blinked, a little confused.  
  
"A young man...?" She trailed off. "Kimahri, did you know who he was?"  
  
"Kimahri know, but not tell Yuna! Surprise!" Yuna blinked again and felt her pulse suddenly quicken. The way Kimahri was smiling...maybe...just maybe it was...  
  
"Is he at the port?!" Yuna cried, and Lulu and Wakka looked at each other worriedly. They knew exactly what Yuna was thinking now, and they didn't like it so much.  
  
"Yeah." Kimahri replied, and with that, went into the kitchen. Yuna looked to Wakka and Lulu, clasping her hands together.  
  
"I'll...be right back!" She exclaimed, and with that, turned to run out of the house.  
  
"Yuna!" Lulu called, but stopped, knowing that there was no way Yuna could of heard her low tone. Wakka looked to Lulu, and she stared back at him, concern filling her deep red-brown eyes.  
  
"Shouldn't we stop her, Lu?" Wakka questioned, and Lulu shook her head, turning away.  
  
"Let her see who was asking for her. I know who she wants it to be. I've noticed the way she has been acting lately."  
  
"You have..?" Wakka scratched his head, and Lulu nodded.  
  
"It's been nearly a year...he came the day she became a summoner. It was her 17th birthday, although we were the only ones who acknowledged it, remember? Everyone else in the village was too excited over her becoming a summoner. Yuna's birthday is next week. She'll be 18...and I am sure that the villagers will be going to the council in Belvelle to get Yuna to be named High Priestess of our temple. Hopefully that will put him out of her mind once again."  
  
"But we can't help keep her preoccupied forever." Wakka said gently.  
  
"I know." Lulu snapped. "And that's why she needs to go to the dock right now. She needs to go and see that it's not Tidus." She sighed and pressed a hand to her forehead.  
  
"And then she will see...that Tidus is never coming back."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
To be continued soonishly...  
  
** Thanks for the nice reviews I have gotten so far! I re-edited the structure just a bit so that I could get off to a good start with those smaller paragraphs. I'll write more soon! And dont worry, there will be a lot less boring character detail from now on. ^^;; 


	2. Vision II- A Misinformed Summoner

Vision II- A Misinformed Summoner  
  
"....Mental note...wear boots next time I decide to trek back down to the beach..." Yuna huffed to herself as she ran down the spiraling dirt path that led from town to the harbor. Her wooden thong sandles were not being kind to her feet, especially whenever she would accidently run over a stone that was sticking out in the road, for the vibration would shoot through the wood and into the ball of her foot, making her wince in pain. However, Yuna ignored that as much as she could manage as she reached down in her pocket and pulled out her Tetra Ring, a small silver band that she slipped around her finger, causing it to activate her special No Encounters field. She didn't have time to deal with the fiends that sometimes still straggled about the Besaidian Islands, and besides that, she had forgotten Nirvana at home in her rush.  
  
Why is my heart pounding so...? Yuna questioned herself. It's like...I actually expect Tidus to be waiting for me there...at the docks... She gulped and pressed her lips together.  
  
Did he hear my whistle...? Did he hear me calling him....?  
  
Yuna finally reached the beachside she had only just departed less than an hour ago, and crossed it to the docks, where sure enough, a ship from Luca was docked. However, most of it's passengers had gotten off and were walking away with the loved ones they were meeting up with-- The only people that remained on the ship were the sailors tying down the masts and tossing stale bread and other food out to the seagulls. Yuna sighed a little and began to slow her steps as she approached the ship, hoping that maybe a straggling traveler would emerge over the ship's ramp and wave to her...call out her name to get her attention...  
  
"Yuna!! Yuna!!!!"  
  
"Huh!?" Yuna blinked and snapped out of her daze, raising her hand to her forehead to see who was calling to her. A tall figure was waving at her from the end of the dock as they stood up from a kneeling position. They had just gotten done with a prayer to Yevon. Yuna narrowed her eyes, but she still could not see who it was clearly. She waved back to them anyway, jumping up a little and causing the beads woven in her ponytail to clatter together. As the figure came closer, however, Yuna's excitement and fell lower and lower, until it became a sickening mass of disappointment settled in her stomach. She could tell that this was not Tidus... His clothes were too bulky, his hair not fluffy, and his stance much more elegant as he walked over the sands. Yuna let out a soft sigh and rested her hands at her sides, trying her hardest to fight back tears.  
  
You knew that it wasn't going to be him...so why are you so upset? Why does your heart ache so?  
  
Tidus...isn't....alive to be here...  
  
He's gone. Faded away. You remember...you saw it. He faded right through you.  
  
And took your soul with him...  
  
"Ah...ahhh!" Yuna gasped, and clenched her eyes shut, shaking her head. "Stop it! Stop it!!!!!!!"  
  
"Yuuuuuna!"  
  
"Ah---ack!"  
  
Yuna gasped out as someone wrapped their arms around her in a tight hug that nearly made her eyes bug out of her head. She finally opened her eyes and blinked when she saw who it was, the disappointment in her heart being temporarily replaced by pure surprise.  
  
"I-Isaaru!!"  
  
"Yuna!" Isaaru exclaimed, and pulled away some, laughing and sweeping his chin-length brown hair behind his ears, which was down from it's usual ponytail. His soft blue-violet eyes glittered with the reflection of the sea as Yuna gazed upon her old friend, taking in what was old and new with his appearance. He was still dressed in the robes that were considered appropriate for a summoner such as himself--long, blue and violet in color, with a teal silk band and ribbon that crossed over his torso. He also still carried his staff, and had the same soft smile he always wore on his lips. However, he had grown perhaps a bit taller since Yuna last saw him, which was over a year ago at Bevelle's infamous prison Via Purifico, and he had cut his hair so that it was all one length, which framed his handsome face beautifully. He also did look a little more built up, not that one could tell very easily under all his clothes.  
  
"This is quite a surprise!" Yuna blinked. "You've changed since I've seen you last! But all for the better, may I add..."  
  
"Why thank you Yuna, I must say you have only gotten more beautiful." Isaaru smiled and Yuna blushed a little as she smiled back. Isaaru had always been a gentleman at heart, despite the fact that the last time Yuna had seen him, he had been her opponent in battle.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Yuna questioned. "It's been so long..."  
  
"I know, I'm sorry for that." Isaaru apoligized. "I'm also sorry for not seeing you while you were in Bevelle for that Yevon council meeting after Sin's defeat...I'm afraid that I was still really too embarassed to face you again after what happened in Via Purifico..."  
  
"Please, it's all in the past now." Yuna said gently, and rested a hand on Isaaru's shoulder. "You had your beliefs to defend, as I had mine. That is all there was to it."  
  
"I see you are still as kind as ever." Isaaru smiled more and ran his fingers through his rich, shining hair. Yuna couldn't help but stare a little, and felt rather bad for it. She was really enjoying Isaaru's company too much for her own comfort. It reminded her almost of what she felt when she was with Tidus.  
  
"Uhh..." Yuna cleared her throat and looked down to the sand. "So really now, what are you doing here? You never answered me before."  
  
"Oh, right!" Isaaru laughed. "Well, actually, I came to pray!"  
  
"At...our temple?" Yuna asked curiously, looking up at Isaaru with confused eyes. She was almost positive that Isaaru knew all about Yu Yevon's fake legacy, so why would he be praying at one of his temples...? The Besaid Temple still had many visitors, although now and days it was becoming more of a symbolic memorial to the old days of Yevonism than anything else, and hardly anyone actually prayed to Yu.  
  
"Well, yes, at the temple." Isaaru blinked. "I took a short leave from Bevelle to take a small journey to pray at the temples in the southern end of Spira, for I so rarely am able to come to this region while on missions for Shelinda and the rest of the Yevonian Council."  
  
"....Oh...I see..." Yuna trailed off, and Isaaru peered into her eyes.  
  
"Is something wrong Yuna? You act as if I have said something odd!"  
  
"Oh...no Isaaru! Not at all!"  
  
I don't even want to attempt to question what Shelinda and the Yevonian Council have been sending summoners on missions for right now. Yuna thought. I'm sure it would just make it look as if I didn't appreciate seeing Isaaru. However...I am still very curious. The church of Yevon has been slowly disbanding now that the people of Spira know the truth, and I am even beginning to wonder why some still pray to him...even though...  
  
Yuna decided that she might bring this up to Isaaru later on, that was, if he was planning to stay on Besaid overnight.  
  
"Well, alright!" Isaaru chuckled and lifted his staff a little. "Say, would you walk with me to the temple? I have a lot to tell you, you know!"  
  
"Oh really?" Yuna smiled some. "Well sure I would love to go with you, but I am actually holding up Lulu, Wakka, and Kimahri from a really great lunch that Lulu has spent all morning preparing...but I would like it if you joined us!"  
  
"Really?" Isaaru exclaimed. "Are you sure it would be alright with them?"  
  
"Of course it will." Yuna insisted. "So you want to?"  
  
"Sure!" Isaaru smiled. "Lead the way!"  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Lulu, Wakka, you two have outdone yourselves!"  
  
"Hmm...thank you Isaaru..."  
  
"Thanks man!"  
  
"Hee-hee!" Yuna laughed and brought her glass to her lips, sipping down the sweet pink lemonaid Wakka had specially made for Kimahri's welcome home luncheon. Although everyone had been surprised to see Isaaru come home with Yuna, he was still made welcome by the group just as Yuna had expected he would be. Kimahri told the group about his trip at Mt. Gagazet, where he had been helping the survivors of his Ronso tribe recover their lost 'village' of sorts in the mountains, which had been destroyed by the Guado last year.  
  
"Boat ride home best part." Kimahri explained as he gnawed on his food. "In Luca, everyone excited over upcoming Blitzball tournament. You going, right Wakka?"  
  
"Ya man, I'm definately going!" Wakka exclaimed. "The Aurochs are going to take home da cup this year! I'm gonna dedicate dis year's game to Chappu!!! Well...in my heart, anyway."  
  
"We'll all be thinking of Chappu." Yuna smiled, and Lulu stared down at her food.  
  
"Yeah, Luca looked pretty amazing." Isaaru added in, mostly to change to somber subject. "But I wonder who will do the actual dedicating and blessing of the games this year? I mean, with Maester Seymour and Maester Mika gone..."  
  
"I do not know." Lulu said thoughtfully. "An excellent question though."  
  
"I guess we'll find out when we go to the tournament this year." Yuna said.  
  
"Isn't the tournament being held on your birthday this year?" Lulu asked, and Yuna nodded, suddenly remembering from Lulu's reminder.  
  
"Oh yeah! I can't believe I forgot. What a great party that is going to be!!"  
  
"I'll dedicate the game to you too, ya?" Wakka grinned.  
  
"How sweet of you Wakka." Yuna smiled, and looked down at her now empty plate, standing up and taking it in her hands. "Thank you again Lulu, the cooking was exquisite! And your lemonade is always the best Wakka."  
  
"I'm done also." Isaaru said, and was about to stand up, but Yuna stopped him and held out her hand for his plate.  
  
"Let me get it for you." Yuna offered. "You are the guest."  
  
"Thank you kindly." Isaaru flashed her a bright smile as he handed her his plate, making Yuna blush yet again and quickly turn her back to the group as she walked over to the sink.  
  
Yuna, pull yourself together! This must all be because you've been thinking about Tidus...but Isaaru ISN'T Tidus, so cut out the embarassment business! If you blush when everyone smiles at you, people will think you have a rash.  
  
"Irk." Yuna managed to choke out, shuddering from that weird thought.  
  
"Something wrong?" Kimahri asked, and Yuna shook her head hurriedly as she scrubbed at her and Isaaru's dishes.  
  
"Uhhh...Nope!" Yuna laughed nervously, and dried her hands on a rag, turning back to Isaaru. "So Isaaru, did you want to get to the temple?"  
  
"Oh, right!" Isaaru said, and stood up, giving a little bow towards Lulu and Wakka. "Thank you for everything." He then turned to Kimahri and bowed also. "Welcome back to Besaid." Yuna gave a little wave and pushed her chair in on the way out of the kitchen.  
  
"Be back in a while!" She called, and with that, left with Isaaru behind her.  
  
"The temple is just a short walk away from here." Yuna explained as they walked up the main cobblestone road. "But I'm afraid it is rather empty..."  
  
"That's alright, isolation is good for meditation!" Isaaru said, and Yuna nodded a little, looking down at the road. She suddenly realized that she didn't have much to say, even though she still yearned to ask about Shelinda's plans for the Yevonian Council. Yuna looked up at Isaaru, and widened her eyes when she realized he had already been staring at her.  
  
"Uhhh...." Yuna blinked and Isaaru did too, turning slightly red. Yuna quickly looked away and tried to think of something to say. "....So, you met up with Kimahri on the ride here, huh?" Isaaru blinked again and tilted his head to the side.  
  
"Kimahri? Well...actually, no, I didn't even realize we were on the same ship until he told me at lunch." Yuna widened her eyes and suddenly stopped walking, causing Isaaru to nearly smash into her.  
  
"You ok Yuna???" Isaaru asked, and slipped infront of her. "You've been acting kind of weird today..." Yuna crossed her arms over her chest in confusion and looked up at Isaaru.  
  
"You really didn't see Kimahri today? You didn't say a word to him on the ship?"  
  
"No...why would I lie about something like that? I mean, you can even ask him, but..."  
  
"No, no, I believe you." Yuna said softly, and raised a hand to her chin in thought. "But...if you wern't the young man Kimahri was talking about...then....who was?"  
  
  
  
  
  
To be continued soonishly.... 


	3. Vision III The Rebirth of a Star

Vision III- The Rebirth of a Star  
  
When Yuna and Issaru made it to the Besaid Temple, they turned to each other, Issaru, in graceful motions, blessing their parting by performing the Yevon prayer motion. Yuna simply bowed, and Issaru smiled gently.  
  
"I see that your battles with Sin have greatly effected you, Yuna. You have really changed."  
  
Yuna sighed slightly and pushed her hair back, gazing up at the clear blue Besaidian skies.  
  
"Can I tell you a secret, Issaru?"  
  
"What?" Issaru blinked and stepped forward some. Yuna locked eyes with him again.  
  
"I wish I really could change. But I feel that even after everything my guardians and I have been through, I haven't. I still feel like the same Yuna, the same naive summoner that traveled through Spira as a pilgrim. I still feel like I'm waiting for something big to happen, something that will truly give me a sign that shows I was supposed to survive all this. I wish...I wish that I had something in life to look forward to. But everyday is the same..."  
  
"What?" Issaru looked very surprised, and concerned. "Yuna, you saved us all! How could you say something so hurtful about yourself like that?"  
  
"I...I don't know..." Yuna looked down and gently kicked at the sands on the temple stairs. "It's been nearly a year since everything happened...and I'm still waiting...waiting for the next stage of my life. Chapter two of Yuna's story."  
  
"Yuna..." Issaru reached up and gently held her shoulder. "Listen. You should stop waiting for the next chapter and just live...live and love and enjoy the beautiful world that you helped bring back to Spira's people. Look around you. People have begun to live again. They no long divide their existence into increments of ten years, because they might of been killed by each return of Sin. Better yet, people are not only living again, they are truly having fun, existing in the moment. You're the one who gave them that gift Yuna...but do not deny it to yourself."  
  
Yuna smiled slightly, and nodded.  
  
"Ok. I will try to keep your words in mind, Issaru."  
  
"You should." Issaru smiled back and dropped his hand. This time, there was no blush on Yuna's face. It was very clear in her mind that she needed to move on, somehow, and stop clinging to the hope of Tidus' return. Issaru wasn't Tidus. The man on the ship that Kimarhi met was not him either. Tidus...he wasn't anywhere, not on Spira, at any rate. Spira had begun its rebirth, and this time...Tidus was not born with it. He was a dream of the Fayth...who had also been left behind in the new Spira. Therefore, he could not exist. However, there was still one thing that troubled Yuna's heart. Issaru's words had inspired her right then and there to take her first step to becoming a new person along with Spira. She would start small- asking questions when she wanted them answered and not leaving them to mull over and eat at her mind.  
  
"Issaru." Yuna suddenly spoke up. "Why...why were you sent here for Shelinda, exactly? What is the Yevonian Council up to?" Her heart began to beat wildly in her chest just at the mention of that council. Issaru's eyes shifted a little, causing Yuna to gasp softly to herself.  
  
No...oh, please don't let my suspicions be correct...I don't want to even imagine what they must be up to...  
  
"Do you promise not to tell anyone?" Issaru suddenly asked, a slightly malicious glint in his eyes. Yuna bit down on her lip.  
  
"....Yes, I promise." Was it possible, or was her heart about to burst from her chest?  
  
"I'm trusting you with this, Yuna." Issaru said a little forcefully, and took a step closer, closing all space between them. Yuna widened her eyes, and blinked. She was starting to see spots of light, her mind was starting to lighten and spin. What was going on? Issaru leaned in and started to whisper.  
  
"I'm here....to do an investigation."  
  
Yuna frowned slightly and tried to keep herself steady on her own two feet.  
  
"An investigation?"  
  
"Yeah, for Shelinda." Issaru pulled back and suddenly broke into a huge smile. "Didn't you hear? She's a big time reporter now, and she's doing a story on the Yevonian council. Apparently, they are making a big announcement at the Blitzball Tournament in Luca next week, and she asked me exclusively to go on the scene and give her the "scoop", as she calls it, on temple activity these days. It's all apart of her broadcast she's going to give. This is going to make her way famous, you know. I can't believe she convinced the council to let her do this story." Yuna stared at Issaru blankly, and thought she was going to pass out from an overwhelming mix of relief and embarrassment.  
  
Issaru was on an assignment...for a news story?  
  
She smacked her forehead. She didn't even want to tell Issaru what she had been thinking- something along the lines of corruption, deception, scandal, the usual associated with Yevon. She could not believe that she had managed to turn Issaru's cryptic replies into a full-blown horror story for Spira. He had only been secretive because of his news report...how unbelievable!  
  
"Something wrong?" Issaru asked, and Yuna shook her head.  
  
"Oh, no...but I think I'd better get going! Good luck on your investigation."  
  
"Thanks! See you later!" Issaru gave a wave, and with that, turned to go inside the temple. Yuna sighed out, all the pent up suspicion and fear inside of her flowing out through that one, steady flow of breath.  
  
"I need a vacation." Yuna moaned and began her trek back to the house. "I need...something. I think too much. Waaaaaay too much."  
  
As Yuna approached the doorway of her humble adobe, she could hear yelling, which made her heart sink. Lulu and Wakka were going at it again, apparently. She did not mean to be nosy, but a loud voice in her mind was pushing her to just burst in there and ask them what the heck their problem was. She hesitated at the door, staring down at her feet. Lulu's voice was strained as she yelled. She almost sounded as if she were about to cry. Wakka sounded pretty upset too, and before she could contemplate it any further, she heard the flap of the doorway open, and there, staring at her, was Lulu, with bloodshot eyes and a clenched fist. Her expression softened slightly when she saw Yuna, but her eyes were still so sad.  
  
"Lulu!" Yuna exclaimed in surprise, turning red for being caught eavesdropping.  
  
"Yuna." Lulu said in that same stoic tone, looking her up and down. "Did you walk Issaru to the temple?"  
  
"Yes." Yuna said hurriedly, turning even redder. Lulu kept staring down at her, not saying anything, at least, not with her lips. Her eyes, however, were screaming some very bad things. Right then, Wakka ran up to the two girls, and took Lulu's shoulder.  
  
"Lu! Listen, don't leave! You didn't let me finish!"  
  
"I don't want to hear you finish!" Lulu cried, whirling around and smacking his hand away from her. Yuna widened her eyes and took a step back. This wasn't living and loving like Issaru was talking about. More than ever, right at that moment, Yuna needed to feel like his words were true, and real. She needed her family to be there with her, and to love her and each other. She needed to ask questions, and get answers that she deserved.  
  
"STOP IT!" Yuna suddenly screamed, her voice bouncing off the sky. Wakka and Lulu both stopped their bickering and turned towards Yuna, a look of shock on their faces. Yuna heaved a heavy breath and jutted a finger towards the inside of the house. "Inside, both of you, NOW!" Much to her surprise, Wakka and Lulu both turned and slipped back inside the house. Yuna followed, her hands on her hips, and watched the two as they sat down and stared up at her, like two reprimanded children. Yuna began to pace up and down, her hands behind her back.  
  
"Now, just to let you know, things are going to start to change around here." She took another deep breath, stuttering slightly with her words, but getting stronger with each passing moment. "I heard you guys fighting earlier today, and now you are fighting again. I want to know what is going on, and I want to know now. You can't leave me in the dark about all of this...if you do...I...I'll..."  
  
"Yuna, it's ok." Lulu stood up and grabbed Yuna as she whirled around to make another pacing round. Yuna stopped and looked up at Lulu.  
  
"Ya, you poor thing, havin' to listen to us holla like dat." Wakka sighed, and stood up also, hands on his hips. "We've just been under a little stress, ya?"  
  
"There's something we should probably tell you." Lulu said, looking up at Yuna with serious eyes. "It might come as a surprise, but believe me, no one was more surprised than us."  
  
"What?" Yuna blinked, and Wakka and Lulu looked at each other.  
  
"Well..." Lulu trailed off, for once at a loss of words, and Wakka suddenly jumped up.  
  
"Lulu is pregnant!"  
  
Yuna stepped back and gasped.  
  
"Wha....Who...Huh....?"  
  
"Wakka is the father." Lulu added, and Yuna blinked. She had no idea what to think, but for some reason, all of a sudden, she was so ecstatic, she felt like she was going to explode.  
  
"Oh, Lulu, Wakka!" Yuna cried, throwing her arms around both of them at once, and forcing them to smash up against each other. Lulu grunted and Wakka grinned, hugging back. Yuna felt her eyes water a little as she kissed Wakka on the cheek and Lulu on the forehead. "I'm so happy for you guys!" She pulled back, and watched their reactions. Wakka was smiling, but Lulu looked too overwhelmed to say much. Yuna fanned her face a little, and smiled slightly. "You guys are happy too...right?"  
  
"Ya, of course." Wakka said, and looked to Lulu, who looked up at him.  
  
"I'm very happy." She said slowly, and pushed her hair back. "But I was not happy with the way you reacted when I told you at first." Wakka frowned some, and leaned in to kiss Lulu's cheek.  
  
"Aw Lu, I know I was a jerk about it, and I'm really sorry, ya know? But I swear it was just because I was so surprised, and ya know how I get when I'm surprised, ya?"  
  
"Yes." Lulu and Yuna both said at once, and Wakka laughed nervously.  
  
"But seriously Lu, I can't wait for our baby to come! I really can't!" Lulu smiled some at this, and Wakka reached down in his pockets, suddenly coming up with a small box and opening it, revealing a glittering ruby and gold ring. "And Lu, I want you to marry me...ya know? Uh, dat is...if you want to marry me..."  
  
"Wakka!" Lulu cried, and Wakka jumped a little at her tone. Yuna looked between them, and Lulu suddenly threw her arms around Wakka, holding him tightly against her and closing her eyes. "Don't be such a fool...of course I'll marry you!" Wakka hugged her back tightly, resting his head against hers, the box with the ring dropping to the floor. Yuna sniffled happily and bent down, picking up the ring and handing it back to Wakka, who fumbled excitedly as he took Lulu's hand and slipped the ring onto her delicate finger.  
  
How wonderful... Yuna thought, her tears spilling down her cheeks. Oh Issaru, you were right...now I have something bright and wonderful to look forward to...my very own little brother or sister...!  
  
~*~*~  
  
A week later...  
  
Luca stadium, like always, was jam-packed with people for the Blitzball Tournament. Yuna, nervously walking up and down the corridor, listened to Shelinda's voice as she spoke to the crowds through her microphone out on the balcony over the stadium. She was revealing a break in the news that seemed to captivate the crowds. The remaining followers of Yevon had decided to reform, and to call themselves "New Yevon", the Yevon for the future. They would be a new organization, she revealed, one that would dispel all the lies and mystery shrouding Yevon's name and bring Truth back to Spira. As she started to explain about the restoration they would donate funds to preserve the temples of Spira that had not already been bought by others, Yuna heard footsteps behind her, and turned. Walking towards her was a short young man, although still a little taller than Yuna, with light, almost platinum blonde hair swept back by a blue bandana. He was wearing beautiful orange and green robes, with the emblems of Yevon and the summons embroidered on the front, and brown leather boots. His skin was tanned and smooth, and his brown eyes were the color of rich chocolate.  
  
"Hello, Lady Yuna." He said, and smiled, giving the Yevonian greeting and smiling. "I am Praetor of New Yevon, Baralai. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, after hearing so much about the legendary summoner who saved Spira."  
  
"Oh, well, hello." Yuna smiled some and they shook hands. "It was very nice of you to let Shelinda tell your story out there for everyone. My friend told me that she really, really wants to follow through with this reporter career. I think she has finally found her calling...she's really good at public speaking!"  
  
"She is very good." Baralai smiled. "We enjoyed working with her, and we hope she'll help us again. Oh, by the way, I met your friend Kimarhi on a ship passing Besaid Port." Yuna raised her eyebrows, things clicking in her head.  
  
"Oh! So you were the young man that Kimarhi was talking about that was asking for me."  
  
"Yeah!" Baralai smiled. "I recognized the Ronso that had helped protect you on your pilgrimage, and asked him how you were doing. He's not much for words though, is he?" Yuna laughed softly and shook her head. Kimarhi wasn't a talker by any means.  
  
There was a slightly uncomfortable silence, and Yuna cleared her throat, still keeping her smile. The crowds outside suddenly erupted into cheers and roars, and Baralai bowed.  
  
"Excuse me, but that's my cue." He started to walk past Yuna, and turned back to her, smiling. "It was very wonderful meeting you, High Summoner Yuna." Yuna blinked, and Baralai winked, parting the curtains to the balcony. "Oh, and happy birthday."  
  
"High Summoner Yuna...?" Yuna whispered, and held onto the wall gently for support of her weakened knees. Her, the high summoner? Was Baralai kidding, or...  
  
"We'll take one thing at a time." Baralai was saying. "One step at a time. One day at a time. Spira has seen incredible progress in just this year alone, and next year, things will be even more amazing. No one will believe that Spira is the same star that it was when Sin reigned over us all. It will be a rebirth, people, a rebirth of everything good and pure and wonderful...and Spira will thrive!" There was more very loud cheering, and Baralai continued. "But a cause for even greater celebration is that today, our very own Yuna, the young woman that saved us all, is turning 18 today. Better yet, she has also been invited here, unbeknownst to her, to be bestowed a very great honor. Everyone, please stand up and cheer for the new High Summoner of Spira, Yuna!"  
  
"Oh!" Yuna exclaimed, nearly lost in Baralai's soothing yet energizing voice. At the sound of her name, she pushed away from the wall and stepped out, her soft violet dress brushing against the curtains as she walked onto the balcony. There, Baralai, Shelinda, Wakka, Lulu were standing at her left, and on her right were Kimarhi, her dear cousin Rikku, and two clergy from the Besaid temple. They all bowed to her, and one of the clergy raised, stepping forward and handing Yuna a beautiful silver staff with an angel wing emblem at the top, with trailing pink ribbons and beads and diamonds glittering from the wings. Yuna clutched it gently and felt herself tremble in happiness.  
  
Finally, Father...I've completed my goal, to become High Summoner like you...to defeat Sin, and to save this world you and Mother loved so much...  
  
Yuna cleared her throat and stepped up to the microphone, looking over the crowds and feeling the words come right to her, as easily as drinking a cool glass of water.  
  
"Thank you, everyone, for giving me this wondrous honor." Yuna sighed softly and leaned in closer, her voice booming now as she spoke. "With this day, I can turn a page in my life and end a very long, arduous, but satisfying chapter in my story. This past year, I will admit, has been very bittersweet for me. I am thrilled at the prospect of Spira growing and progressing, racing towards a future without stopping once to take a breath of air. The past that we once knew, although dotted with bits of happiness, was most often drowned in sorrows and pain. Sometimes, however, I felt almost as if I was being left behind. It was only until very recently that I realized that I too, need to stop mourning over the past that is no more." Yuna stopped for a moment to gather her thoughts. There was not a peep from the stands, although Yuna did hear a familiar squeal of excitement come from Rikku.  
  
"I still think of my father, Braska, and of the guardians I lost that helped guide me on my pilgrimage to defeat Sin. However, lately, I've realized that they were dominating my thoughts, and while it is ok for us to miss the ones we've lost to Sin, we must also look to the future...it holds so many possibilities for us. Today, I cast aside the sadness that has been my veil for this past year, and truly turn toward the future, both as a young woman and as your High Summoner. Let us welcome tomorrow and all it's opportunities with open arms, and all begin a new chapter."  
  
The crowds burst out into cheers and loud applause, and Yuna bowed. As she walked back through the curtains to her waiting area, she handed her staff back to the clergyman who had given it to her, and let out a happy sigh. She felt lighter than air, as if she could just spread her wings and fly away.  
  
"Yunie!" Rikku squealed, and suddenly dove onto Yuna from behind, wrapping her arms around her neck and squeezing tight.  
  
"Ack, Rikku, get off of me!" Yuna cried, but laughed, shaking her cousin off and turning towards her. "And hello to you too, by the way. Why didn't you tell me you would be here today!?"  
  
"I wanted it to be a surprise." Rikku grinned, and bounced up and down. "But more important, there is something I need to show you. I actually only just found it the other day...but I thought today would be the most appropriate to show it to you."  
  
"What is it?" Yuna asked, and blinked. Rikku had turned serious now, pushing her blonde braids away from her face and shifting her eyes.  
  
"I want us to be alone." Rikku said. "Can we go somewhere else? Like my airship?"  
  
"Sure." Yuna said, and with that, Rikku led her outside of the stadium and to the ports, where her airship was docked and waiting. However, much to Yuna's surprise, it was not the same ship that she had flown on with Cid and the others when they had traveled over Spira last year. This ship was red, and shining, and sleek, long with black markings and designs painted along it, the rear end almost resembling a rear car of a motorcycle. As Yuna and Rikku ran down to the end of the dock, Yuna spotted a very tall girl dressed in all black with slicked back light brown hair watching them. She suddenly turned, leaping into the ship, and disappeared from sight.  
  
"Who was that?" Yuna asked, and Rikku shook her head.  
  
"Oh, don't worry, I'll introduce you two later."  
  
"Later? And what is that ship?"  
  
"Well, Brother and Buddy named it Celsius!"  
  
A few moments later, Yuna and Rikku climbed aboard the ship themselves, and stood there within the entrance cabin. Rikku reached in her pocket, pulling out a glowing orange spear, and handed it to Yuna.  
  
"What is this?" Yuna asked, staring at the sphere incredulously.  
  
"I've taken up this little hobby." Rikku explained. "They call it sphere hunting. Brother, Buddy, this Al Bhed kid named Shinra, that girl you just saw, Paine, and I have been exploring Spira together to look for spheres like this. Some of them have pieces of Spira's past recorded on them, and others are just gibberish. Some of them are broken and can't be viewed. However..." She grinned slightly. "It brings in mucho dinero, you know?"  
  
"So that's where you've been hiding all this time." Yuna said, and smiled some. "And what's on this sphere?" Rikku brought a finger to her cheek.  
  
"Well...it's hard to say. But, I wanted you to see it for yourself. If...you can make anything of it...well, then I suppose we can go from there, you know?" Yuna grasped the sphere between her fingers, and swallowed. What was Rikku talking about? However, there was only one way to find the answer to that particular question, and Yuna was ready to take the plunge.  
  
"Ok...let's look at this thing." Yuna said softly, and pushed on the delicate, tiny switch at the side of the sphere. The entire sphere turned blue, and a watery, cloudy image began to appear inside. It was very hard to make out, and at first, all Yuna could see was black. But then, so slowly, a faded picture appeared within the darkness, a picture that looked like it was lined with metal bars, with someone's hands grasping them. Sound began to crackle out, at first incomprehensible noises, and finally, a voice, a voice that was screaming out.  
  
Yuna felt as if her heart were about to stop. Her blood ran cold, and beads of sweat formed at her temples. That voice...it was so familiar...and ever so slightly, she could make out the face behind the bars. The strong, defined, tanned features...the piercing blue eyes...that spiky blonde hair...  
  
"...Let me out of here....!!"  
  
Rrrrrrrrrrrr.....crack....glub....  
  
"....I only did it so I could save the summoner!"  
  
Rrrrrrrr....  
  
"...If she were YOUR girl, what would you have done...!?"  
  
Crack...Hmmmmmm....Rrrrrr....  
  
"Please...I need to see her..."  
  
The screen turned black again, and the sphere made a static crackling noise before switching off on its own and turning back to its original bright orange color. Yuna looked up to Rikku, who was staring at her.  
  
"Rikku..." Yuna's voice cracked as she spoke, slowly and softly. "Was that....was that him?"  
  
"I don't know." Rikku shook her head. "But when I saw it...I knew that I had to show it to you. Something inside me told me it was the right thing to do." Yuna let out a low breath and fell back against the wall, bringing her hand to her forehead and closing her eyes. Her head was spinning so hard, she thought for sure they were all caught in some bizarre whirlwind that had just manifested itself inside the airship. Her knees were weak, shaking, and her hand quickly began clammy against the touch of her own skin.  
  
"Shinra analyzed the sphere." Rikku continued. "However, the results for the date of recording came back inconclusive. The sphere was badly damaged when we found it...but he restored it the best he could, as you can see..."  
  
"Are there more like this?"  
  
"Huh?" Rikku tilted her head, and Yuna looked up. Her voice was coarse.  
  
"Are there more spheres like this one?"  
  
"Oh..." Rikku raised her hands and shook her head. "Who knows? There could very well be...Paine and I find new spheres almost everyday, and Shinra analyzes them for us and keeps them on file. She reached out, taking Yuna's hands into her own and looking up into her cousin's eyes. "I wanted to ask you Yuna, I wanted to ask you to join us in our hunt for spheres. I want you to join the Gullwings. That's the name of our group."  
  
"You want me to become a Sphere Hunter?" Yuna asked, a little surprised. "But I hardly seem the type..."  
  
"So you try something new, no big deal!" Rikku squeezed her hands. "I wanted you to join us ever since I became one, but I never wanted to bother you at home and tear you away from your quiet life. However, once I saw this...I thought that I might try to ask you this time."  
  
"I..." Yuna trailed off, and looked away. "I just told myself...and all of Spira...that I would let go of the past and look to the future. Searching for more spheres with him on them...that would be breaking a very big promise."  
  
"Yuna!" Rikku cried, dropping her hands. "It is not breaking a promise! This is important to you, isn't it? Besides, it's not going back to the past. Sphere Hunting is a big future for Spira...you'll see what I mean in time. Everyone is just starting to get into it...besides, you could unlock all these really cool secrets and discover Spira's past! That is the key to the future you know, the past. No matter what you may say, it is the past that teaches us what to do for the future. You believe that, right?" Yuna looked back to Rikku, and pushed her hair back behind her ears. Rikku continued quickly, before Yuna could say anything else.  
  
"Besides all that, it will just be plain fun! We'll get you some clothes that aren't so frilly so you can explore with Paine and I! We go wherever we want in Spira, whenever we want. Everyday is a new adventure, and nothing is predictable!" Rikku smiled. "Nothing is written or laid out for you, Yuna. You live each day how YOU decide, how YOU want. And..." There was no way she could skirt around the most sensitive issue at stake here. "....If this sphere here turns out to be some sort of red herring...well, then at least you can say you tried, right? What are you going to do now that you've seen this? Are you going to go back to your home in Besaid and just think about it every night until you've cried all your tears and become bitter and hardened over it? Or are you going to be proud, knowing that you tried your best, and that you had fun in the process? That is what living truly is Yuna, taking chances! You took a chance when you defeated Yunalesca, didn't you? You defied laws that summoners had followed for a thousand years, and look at what happened." Rikku spread her arms out to indicate all of Spira.  
  
"Rikku..." Yuna trailed off. She didn't quite know what to say, except for the obvious. Her cousin was right- very right. But, most importantly of all, Yuna did want to do this. She was afraid of their lead turning out to be fake, as Rikku had said there would be a possibility for, but in the end, she was more afraid of passing up the opportunity to begin her new chapter. If she went home to Besaid, she would just do the same thing she had been doing everyday, and nothing would ever change.  
  
"Hey down there." A rough female voice said. Yuna and Rikku looked up above the lift, where the brown-haired girl from before was standing, her hands on her hips and her crimson eyes slightly narrowed. "Are you the High Summoner?"  
  
"Yes." Yuna smiled, and the girl relaxed a little. "I'm also the newest member of the Gullwings, apparently." Rikku gasped and jumped up and down, cheering out.  
  
"Oh Yunie, I KNEW you would say yes! We're going to have SO MUCH FUN TOGETHER!!!!"  
  
"Rikku, you're making my ears bleed!" The girl cried, and hopped down, shoving Rikku out of the way and reaching out to shake Yuna's hand. "Hi, my name is Paine. It's a pleasure."  
  
"Mine also." Yuna smiled.  
  
"Hey!" Rikku cried, recovering from her stumble and staggering back up to Yuna and Paine. "That's no way to treat a fellow Gullwing!"  
  
"Oh, that's funny, I thought we didn't have any rules." Paine smirked. "That's what you said when you lured me into this trap." Rikku paled and started jumping up and down angrily.  
  
"I didn't lure you! You ASKED to join us! I remember!"  
  
"Ahem!" Yuna laughed, and put her hands on her hips. "Rikku, I think we should get going now!" Rikku and Paine turned to Yuna.  
  
"You just want to leave?" Rikku asked, a little confused. "You don't want to say good-bye to anyone?"  
  
"Yeah, I just want to go." Yuna smiled. "I'm afraid that if I tell Wakka and Lulu what I'm doing, they'll try to convince me not to leave quiet, safe Besaid."  
  
"That's the spirit!" Paine grinned. "I like the way she thinks, unlike you Rikku, who doesn't think at all. I can't believe you two are related."  
  
"HEYYY!" Rikku shrieked, stomping her foot, and Yuna laughed, jumping onto the lift and pushing the button for her to ascend higher into the ship. As it started to move up, Paine leaped on with her, leaving Rikku behind to pitch her fit. Paine didn't say anything, but she did give Yuna an understanding smile. Yuna smiled back, and looked up at the high ceiling of the Celsius, which was a perfectly clear dome that revealed the bright blue sky and the little white puffs of clouds that dotted it. A few gulls from the port flew overhead, and Yuna sighed dreamily. Paine turned towards her.  
  
"I'll take you up to the deck later." She offered. "It's a great view."  
  
"Thanks." Yuna smiled more, and took a step onto the control bridge off from the lift. It was her first step into her new life, into her new chapter.  
  
~*~*~  
  
That night, after the Yuna had been officially initiated into the Gullwings (aka, a lot of partying by the members on board of Celsius), Yuna found the other lift that Paine had shown her and rode it to the deck of the ship.  
  
Celsius was gently coasting through the night sky, destination unknown. The stars were out tonight, bright and shining like diamonds, and there wasn't a trace of a cloud in sight. Yuna's hair and dress whipped back from the cool winds, and she sat down on the cool, smooth metal deck, sitting up and bringing her two fingers to her lips, letting out a clear, long whistle, and then another.  
  
For the first time since that night he had disappeared, Yuna's eyes did not water when she whistled. The sadness that always consumed her was replaced with something new tonight: hope. It was something she had not felt since...since when? Since the defeat of Sin? No, even then, Yuna's heart had been torn by the disappearance of Auron and Tidus, and the Fayth. It was further back...back when she first met Tidus, that she had really, truly felt hope. The moment her eyes fell upon his, warm, and blue, just like the ocean, she knew that she would somehow get through her pilgrimage, no matter how painful.  
  
She knew that he would always be by her side...and somehow, inside, she sensed that he still was. She could feel his essence as easily as the wind.  
  
He was just waiting for her to find him.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Fin  
  
03.12.04 


End file.
